


This is Home

by hotdogsarekooliguess



Category: IT - Stephen King, IT: Chapter Two - Fandom
Genre: 2019, Bisexual Bill Denbrough, Bisexual Eddie Kaspbrak, F/M, Gay Richie Tozier, Gay Stanley Uris, Homophobic Slurs, M/M, Modern Day, Straight Ben Hanscom, Straight Beverly Marsh, carole danner is straight af, derry is homophobic, its sept 2019 here lol, ment. of henry bowers and his gang loll, straight mike hanlon, the events of it 2017 take place in 2016, theyre sixteen here, this is also on wattpad ajhfahfd', this is my first ao3 fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-13 00:11:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21485146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotdogsarekooliguess/pseuds/hotdogsarekooliguess
Summary: The losers slowly find love throughout their teenage years.DISCLAIMERCharacters in this book are all by Stephen King.Finn Wolfhard/Bill Hader as Richie TozierJack Dylan Grazer/James Ransone as Eddie KaspbrakSophia Lillis/Jessica Chastain as Beverly MarshJeremy Ray Taylor/Jay Ryan as Ben HanscomJaeden Martell/James McAvoy as Bill DenbroughWyatt Oleff/Andy Bean as Stanley UrisChosen Jacobs/Isaiah Mustafa as Mike HanlonEmily Alyn Lind/Naomi Watts as Carole Danner (Non-Canon)
Relationships: Beverly Marsh/Ben Hanscom, Carole Danner/Mike Hanlon, Richie Tozier/Eddie Kaspbrak, Stanley Uris/Bill Denbrough
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

Richie Tozier sat in his bedroom on a chilly September evening. He knew he had school tomorrow, but he couldn't be bothered. The boy was restless, sitting at his window sill smoking a stolen cigarette. The cool air picked up now and then, sending a breeze through the window. Richie couldn't be bothered by the cool wind on his face. He looked down at his phone to see what song was in his queue.

Eddie My Love - 1956 #14 Billboard chart

It had been like this since mid-August. Richie sitting alone at his open window sill every night, listening to the same songs and smoking the same stolen cigarettes. Maybe he wasn't okay, and he didn't know if he ever will be content with himself. Richie didn't do much, he just liked to read, play video games, draw, and listen to music. He has read through so many novels and is trying to save some money to either get the fuck outta Derry.

Richie needed a change. He wanted somewhere to just tell someone how he felt about Eddie without getting hate. He just wanted to be there with Eddie, and he never expected to fall for the small boy. There are so many things Richie likes about Eddie. He finds it adorable Eddie always has perfect posture and never sits with his elbows on his knees, and even how organized he is when it comes to his medication.

Richie threw his cigarette butt out the window and decided he was going to go somewhere. He was 16, his parents didn't give a shit how long he was out anymore. The only thing they wanted from Richie was good grades and Richie bringing girls home. Like that would ever happen...

Richie skipped the song Eddie My Love. It went to Some Nights by fun. and he grinned.

He still remembers the night he slept at Eddie's house and they listened to Some Nights and fell asleep together. The lyrics reminded him of the time Eddie broke his arm and some random bitch wrote LOSER and Eddie tried to change it to LOVER. It did work, and Richie admired that so much from little Eddie Kaspbrak. He adored everything about Eddie.

Richie checked his pocket to make sure he had his essentials: a blade (for self-defense reasons, of course), his phone, $13, and a phone charger. He didn't bother to zipper up his coat and left the house out the front door and got onto his vintage style bike.

Richie found himself on the 'kissing bridge', where couples either sucked faces or carved names into the bridge. He remembered the knife in his pocket and wondered if he should carve his initials for a second. "Why the fuck not." He said to himself, getting off his bike and letting it fall to the ground carelessly.

Richie approached the bridge and kneeled, taking the knife out. There was an open spot, almost perfect for him. He felt like running away from Derry then and there but started to carve an 'R' into the wood. He couldn't decide whether or not he wanted to put the '+ E', because there's always a chance Eddie could see it. What if he did, and recognized the carve as his handwriting?

His mind was racing, and he didn't even realize he was gripping the blade on his knife and it dug into the skin of his palm. "Fuck!" Richie shouted as he dropped it, a smaller cut forming on his hand. He wasn't bleeding but fuck it stung. "I fucking hate this town." He mumbled under his breath, picking up the knife. He decided he wasn't going to finish the carving and didn't realize he was almost crying. Richie was losing hope each day and didn't know if there was a chance of ever getting it back.

Richie pulled out another cigarette and lit it up with the lighter. Beverly Marsh, his only female friend, gave him the lighter the Fourth of July as an 'apology' gift for losing his other one after her dad, Al Marsh, freaked out. Richie wasn't even surprised how much smoking was a coping mechanism from all the homophobia he saw at home. Maggie and Wentworth, Richie's parents, didn't know and thought their son was this perfect boy with the perfect friends. Richie got along with his parents but knew he'd be hung by his balls if he ever came out to the two. He wished he could just get away from it all and move to Los Angelos with the boy he loved and live a happy life but he knew it would never happen. Richie had $13, how could he even leave Derry anyway? It seemed almost impossible, considering it's his little hometown in Maine of all places. Richie was a smart kid, and you could tell too. Richie has thick glasses and is usually called a four-eyed faggot by Bowers.

Richie shook his head and stood up from his crouching position and shoved the lighter and blade into his coat pocket. With the Winston in his mouth, he moved toward his bike and lifted it. Richie tried to ignore the stinging pain in his hand and lift his bike and not acknowledge to tears in his eyes. An overwhelming feeling of melancholy clouded his mind when he sat on his bike and he closed his eyes, allowing the tears to stream down his face. Richie sobbed on his bike, removing his glasses and the cigarette from his mouth. With Richie's sobs, the song _Heroes_ covered by Peter Gabriel played. Rubbing his eyes, he didn't stop crying until the song had ended. He inhaled the thin air surrounding him. He sniffled and put his glasses back on and took a drag of the cigarette still burning in his left hand. 

Richie felt his phone buzz from his pocket. At that moment, he pulled out his rose gold iPhone from his pocket and glanced at the screen. The time read 6:26 pm and the text was from his friend, Eddie Kaspbrak.

_Eddie my luv -- I'm bored you should come over_

Richie didn't smile. He didn't feel happy but thought about it. Maybe visiting Eddie would allow him to find comfort. He unlocked his phone with the password being 137900 instead of simply using his touch id option. He placed the cigarette into his mouth and held it there as he texted Eddie back.

_trashmouth-- why so late eds?_

_Eddie my luv -- everyone else is at the movies and didn't tell us smh_

_Eddie my luv -- don't call me eds_

Richie allowed a small grin to creep onto his lips with the cigarette still sitting in his mouth. He texted Eddie back.

_trashmouth -- ill be there in 15 minutes eddie spaghetti_

_Eddie my luv -- see ya then trashmouth_

Richie was unaware of how happy Eddie was on the other end of the conversation.


	2. Chapter Two - Eddie's House

Eddie Kaspbrak sat on his bed, awaiting Richie's arrival. He had ended up in this situation after Bill, Ben, Beverly, and Stan went to the movie theatres without Richie and Eddie. Eddie wasn't envious of them, he was glad they had their own time. Besides, Eddie already saw the film.

If Eddie decided to be honest with himself, he was glad the other losers went out to the movies without him. He likes spending time with Richie more than the other losers. There were things Eddie adored about the boy, such as his raven hair, or his thick glasses and his brown doe-eyes. Eddie felt happy around Rich, a feeling of euphoria when Richie made a joke that wasn't so appropriate.

Eddie likes when Richie cares for him and is concerned when Eddie has an asthma attack. He usually is there to aid him, or even comfort him. Eddie usually overthinks little things, like when Richie hugged him after Henry Bowers kicked his ass. He knew it was just a friendly thing, but of course, his heart would flutter and he felt like dancing. Eddie is a simple man of somewhat-simple pleasures. Eddie fancies a candle-lit dinner, but wouldn't mind taking a jump off the quarry for a date, especially with _Richie_.

While on his bed, he pulled out his yearbook from 2016. That was the year the losers club began, and they fought a clown in a sewer. Sure, it may sound like complete bullshit if you told someone, but if you showed off Derry's long history of child disappearances and the fact that numerous children died in a freak accident and history repeats itself, there could be a chance someone could believe the seven kids. Eddie opened the yearbook and looked at the signatures. There were only 6.

In messy writing, it showed   
_Ben Hanscom, Have a good summer <strike>Eds</strike>__!!_  
_<strike>Stuttering</strike> Bill, hope we hang out soon! _  
_Stanley Uris, Hey bruhh_  
_Beverly Marsh, You're cool, thanks for helping with science work :)_  
_Richie Trashmouth Tozier, HAVE A SPLENDID SUMMER SIR EDDIE SPAGHETTI! _  
Eddie grinned at the writing as he took a black Sharpie out of his mug of pens on his nightstand and popped the lid with his teeth, still gripping it. Carefully, he neatly wrote R with a heart around it at the bottom of the page, near where Richie signed. Nobody would ever see it, right? There wasn't anything to worry about, besides his mom finding out about this. Sonia Kaspbrak, being the overweight and dramatic bimbo she is, would think Eddie was ill. She'd send him away, hoping for her little sweet Eddie-Bear to be cured of being gay. Eddie inhaled sharply at the idea but knew he wouldn't change. If Eddie was gay, then he was gay. Society should be more accepting, especially since it's 2019 in Derry and people are still degraded for loving someone of the same gender.

Eddie smiled, already missing his friends. His mother never let him out of the house past 6:30 pm because she still believed in some bullshit curfew from years ago. Eddie was glad Richie's parents allowed him to go almost anywhere, as long as he didn't bring any girls home or stumble into the Tozier household drunk. Eddie knew Richie was better than that because Richie was smart, funny, charming, amazing, cute, loving, and a lot more. Eddie wished he could hold Richie's hand in his own, talk to him about his day, and he could probably write letters just about how he found the boy so amazing and give him a million reasons he adores him so much, and why he feels so happy around Richie rather than any of the other losers. The last one would probably be the fact that Eddie was falling for Richie the more and more he thought about him.

Eddie was startled by a sudden ring from the doorbell. He got out of bed and rushed down the stairs to answer it, knowing it's Richie himself. His small feet rushed down each step, trying not to fall in the process. He was glad his mother wasn't home, she would've given Eddie so much shit for having Richie over, especially since Sonia despised the boy for the inappropriate comments he constantly made towards her, which usually resulted in Eddie apologizing on Richie's behalf. He unlocked the door and opened it, feeling the cold breeze hit his legs a bit, but the breeze stopped because of Richie's tall figure standing in front of him, a dorky smile on his face.

"Hey! Come in," Eddie said, seeing Richie was a bit cold because all he was wearing was an old, thin leather jacket over a t-shirt. Richie grinned and stepped in, passing Eddie.

"Eds, where's your mom?"

"She's gone. Somewhere, like a physical therapist or whatever? No idea, man, she just left a note."

"Oh really? Because I just saw her last night. We had a really good time if y' know what I mean?" Richie winked at Eddie, to which he responded with rolling his eyes and grinning at the taller boy, even after fighting the urge to keep a stern expression.

"Whatever, Rich." He scoffed at him, disgusted and entertained at his humor. Richie let out a laugh, and Eddie felt his heart flutter within that very moment. He was a little offended by Richie's joke, of course, but he could still appreciate it. He appreciated almost everything about Richie.

_Almost?_ Eddie shook his head. He appreciated everything.

"Want to go upstairs or stay down here for a bit?" Eddie asked him, trying to ignore his thoughts pestering him about his feelings. He pretended as if his stomach didn't feel like butter being churned.

"I was hoping we could get snacks then go upstairs," Richie prompted to Eddie, taking off his Converse shoes and looking at him. "Then watch a movie of our own on Netflix?" He grinned, showing off his slightly crooked teeth, readjusting his glasses. Eddie nodded in agreement, passing Richie and making his way to the small kitchen not so far down the hallway. Richie followed Eddie, putting his hands in his pocket.

"What's in stock tonight, Eddie Spaghetti?" He said subconsciously, walking over and opening the cupboard and looking over the galore of treats that Sonia had, neatly organized and out of reach of Eddie. Richie took out a bag of Twizzlers and two snack-size Doritos bags. He moves to the fridge and grabs a can of Coca-Cola.

"What do you want to drink?" Richie inquired, glancing over at the shorter boy, who was occupied by closing the cupboard Richie had left ajar.

"I'll have a coke." He said in response, gazing at Richie. Richie held the snacks in his arms, looking back at Eddie.

"Could you help me hold all this shit?" Richie requested, and Eddie nodded in agreement almost immediately, taking the snack foods out of his left arm. "Thanks, took you long enough," Richie said in a sarcastic tone whilst grinning.

"Yeah, whatever, _Trashmouth,_" Eddie retorted, rolling his eyes. Eddie left the kitchen to the hallway near the door. He passed the living room and took a right up the stairs. Richie used his elbow to close the refrigerator and followed Eddie to his bedroom upstairs.

Eddie opened the door to his room and placed down the snacks on his bedside. He was hit with the sudden realization his yearbook was open and he panicked. He rushed to the book and closed it, shoving it underneath his pillow. He was worried Richie would see what he had written in his bold writing and shame him for even thinking about him that way.

Richie stood at the door, drinks in hand, looking at the shorter boy, with an eyebrow raised in suspicion of why he looked so panicked. Richie was amused, to say the least, and decided to intervene with the situation at hand. He let a grin tug at his lips and looked at Eddie's solemn expression. "What are you hiding, Eddie Spaghetti?" Richie teased, walking into Eddie's room and placing down the drinks. He made sure not to put them on top of Eddie's shit, knowing he would complain about it.

"Nothing. It's n-nothing, why do you ask? I'm not hiding shit, fuck you!" Eddie said, his heart exhilarating trying to maintain an intimidating yet relaxed expression. Eddie felt his face burning, and he didn't doubt his face looked like Ben's when Beverly would glance at him. Eddie sat on the bed, putting his hand onto the pillow he tucked the book into, ignoring the feeling of butterflies swarming in his stomach.

"C'mon, Eds, what's under the pillow?" Richie chirped but did a very dramatic gasp following it. He had a shocked, non-convincing expression on his face, and grinned with a sinister look in his eyes. In a low, mocking tone, he whispered, "Is it porn? Did you finally decide to tickle your pickle?" He said, looking into Eddie's eyes through hooded eyes. Eddie looked surprised and immediately shook his head indicating _no_. Richie loved how adorable Eddie looked, his face completely flustered and fidgeted with the hem of his shorts and tried to be serious about this whole situation.

"It's nothing, I swear to God, quit being a fucknut!", Eddie responded, his breathing hitched. Richie still had a shit-eating grin on his face and moved towards Eddie. Eddie swallowed, but he still felt a lump in his throat. Eddie's face was so warm, he didn't doubt the possibility of beads of sweat running down his forehead.

Richie sat down next to the boy, almost teasing him. Eddie felt chills prickle throughout his body, his mind racing. Richie leaned a bit closer, still grinning. "I know your weakness, Edward Kaspbrak, surrender or you shall feel my wrath and you will forever rue this moment!" Richie said in a British accent and poked Eddie's stomach.

Eddie giggled and fell onto his side. Richie crawled on top of the smaller boy and started to attack his neck with his hand, wriggling his fingers. This provoked Eddie and he started laughing, moving his head as an attempt to squeeze Richie's hand, which only made matters worse. Richie, sitting on top of Eddie, took his strength to his advantage and started to tickle Eddie underneath his armpits. Eddie wheezed, still laughing uncontrollably as a feeling of euphoria and pure happiness surged through him. "Richie, fuck, stop!" Eddie said through his laughter, closing his eyes as he laughed. "Dude, I cant- Richie, Rich! Shit, oh my god!" Eddie cried out, trying to get Richie to stop tickling him. He lifted his left arm and knocked off Richie's thick glasses.

"Oh no! Eds attacked a man with glasses!" Richie responded in an exasperated voice, almost sounding offended. Eddie giggled at Richie, looking up at him as he sat on top of Eddie, holding his glasses in his hands as if Eddie had just broken them. Eddie laughed, and Richie felt his heart flutter at that moment. He admired Eddie and even loved him. The feeling of pure joy knowing Eddie found him, Richie Trashmouth Tozier, funny? It wasn't like anything else. Richie could talk about how this boy made him feel, but it could take forever. Hours could pass while he just rambled on and on about the boy.

Eddie looked into Richie's deep brown eyes and looked at him. Richie was within kissing distance, and he could see every little detail about him. His eyes, gosh, that's what Eddie liked about Richie. His brown eyes were dark, elegant, and rich. When enough light hits them, they look almost like honey. Warm, soothing, and inviting. He could stare at them all day, and in lower lighting, they seem almost black like ink from a calligraphy pen. Smooth, and aesthetically pleasing. Eddie could stare into them all day, and just admire how they look through hooded eyes. Richie's eyelashes were a bit long but almost perfect. Eddie admired the way they fluttered when Richie blinked. When warm light pours into the room and illuminates they look light brown and Eddie just thinks that they look so perfect. He's almost hypnotized by Richie's eyes and his freckles. They weren't extreme, but they were lightly scattered across his face on his smooth complexion and he could count them if he wanted. They're like stars on a night sky. His breath smelled like cigarettes, but Eddie didn't mind. Richie's scent was usually a nice cologne mixed with cigarettes, and he admired that.

Richie wasn't the only one who was being admired. Richie felt like he was in a mirage staring at Eddie. The room fell into silence as the boys admired each other, not realizing. Richie was looking at Eddie's lips. They were a deep pink, almost crimson. They were soft, considering Eddie couldn't stand having chapped lips. Richie found that so cute, and his cheeks, they were soft. Eddie has smooth skin, usually moisturized and warm. His skin tone was warmer, considering summer just passed, and he smelled like pine and Pepto Bismol combined. Richie loved it. He loved the scent of Eddie's thin sweaters, his polos, his shirts, everything. It was a cross of scents like pine, honey, or medicine. He found it comforting, as it didn't smell like home. It didn't smell like burnt food from his mom's bad cooking, nor his dad's shitty cologne. It smelled like Eddie, and that's all he needed. Richie loved how Eddie's eyebrows seemed thicker, and the slightest amount of acne was on his forehead. Richie could run his hands through Eddie's brown, smooth hair and play with it.

"Eds?" Richie whispered, maintaining eye contact with Eddie. He swallowed nervously, his mouth dry.

"Yeah?" Eddie inquired. _Kiss me, idiot. _Eddie desperately wanted to tell Richie. Eddie wished he could take Richie's face in his hand, lean forward, and press his soft lifts against Richie's lips. He imagined the two moving in sync, and closing his eyes to enjoy the moment as it is.

"What was that anyway?" He asked, "The thing you're hiding." Richie continued, still keeping eye contact with him.

"Juh-just, uh, my yearbook," his throat was dry and he felt like he was going to gag. "Why?" he asked, feeling his face burn.

"Why hide it?" Richie questioned, sitting upright and rolling off Eddie. He curiously looked at the pillow, genuinely confused about it.

"I wrote something about..." Eddie trailed off, looking for an excuse to dismiss this situation, "the person I like." He regretted his words almost immediately.

Richie felt his heart drop. His stomach churned, making him feel like a heaping sack of garbage. He felt his breath hitch but dismissed how he felt. Richie should be happy for him, not envious of the girl he liked. Richie grinned, pretending he didn't just feel like he got hit by a truck. "Who's the lucky lady?" Richie laid back on his side, propping his head up with his arm.

Eddie seemed anxious. He inhaled sharply, and responded, "It's not a girl, Richie," he felt regret almost instantly. Richie grinned and then realized that Eddie seemed sick, almost as if he was going to vomit and then proceed to cry.

There was silence. "Fuck, I'm sorry Richie, I got to go, I can't--I'm so sorry I'm disgusting, fuck. I should like, go, I don't know," Eddie rambled, sitting up and looking around the room. Eddie's breathing staggered dangerously as he searched for his inhaler as he stood up. He stumbled toward his desk, tears spilling from his eyes already.

"Eds, no, it's okay." Richie got up, hoping to reassure Eddie on how he felt.

"I'm disgusting, Rich," Eddie said, feeling his eyes fill with tears as his nose felt a burning sensation. He grabbed his inhaler off of his desk and took a puff of it. Although his inhaler was the equivalent to tap water, it still helped him. Richie put a hand on Eddie's shoulder. Eddie flinched and moved out of his grip. "Please don't touch me," Eddie spoke, his voice cracking. Richie felt his heartache, feeling worse than before. "I am going to fucking throw up dude please," Eddie pleaded, looking at Richie with glossy eyes.

Richie looked at Eddie for a second, and then pulled the smaller boy into his embrace. Richie hoped than just for a moment Eddie could feel safe, comfortable and reassured. Eddie dug his face into Richie's neck and choked out a heart-wrenching sob, tears running down his cheeks and onto Richie's shirt. Eddie felt a feeling of comfort and hoped Richie accepted him for who he is.

"Eddie, I will never hate you for liking a boy, because you're not the only one. There's accepting people out there, and even though Derry doesn't have the best history of being accepting, you're safe with me, okay? I would never hate you, Eds. I just want you to be happy. I want you to be loved," Richie spoke in a soft voice, holding Eddie in his arms. _Even if it's not me,_ Richie thought to himself, not letting go to Eddie. Eddie's eyes were closed and he hugged Richie back. "I could never hate you because that would just be unfair. I mean, I don't like girls either. I like boys, Eddie." He said, and Eddie lifted his head and pulled himself from Richie's embrace. Eddie held Richie's warm hand in his own and looked into his eyes, "You're braver than you think." 

Within that moment, Eddie leaned forward and pressed his soft lips to Richie's chapped lips and stayed like that for no more than two seconds before he pulled away. Richie grinned and leaned in to kiss Eddie again, and put his hand on Eddie's waist. Eddie, being surprised and exhilarated, kissed back. He moved his hand to Richie's upper cheek and held it. Eddie's fingers made a 'V' in front and behind Richie's ear, and his other hand was on Richie's chest. They kissed for seconds but it felt like hours. The two pulled away, both of them flustered with grins on their faces.


	3. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i update monday-tues-wednesday so i can have my extensive weekend where i prepare the next chapters  
btw theyre dorks

Following the events that went down at Eddie's house, Richie Tozier confessed his love for Eddie Kaspbrak. Eddie was shocked but mostly happy. Eddie knew he loved Richie as well, but wanted to try to take it one step at a time so they could trust each other as friends and lovers.

"Eds?" Richie whispered to Eddie, who had his head rested on Richie's shoulder.

"Don't call me Eds," Eddie responded, a small grin tugging at his lips. He would always deny he loved being called pet names by Richie.

"Can I ask you something?" Richie responded, more serious now. 

Eddie sat upright and looked at Richie, his hair was distraught. He tilted his head, "Of course, what's up?" Eddie responded, nervous that something bad was going to happen.

"Look, you can say no if you want but, I was just wondering if you wanted to like, go out? Be my boyfriend, even," Richie said, looking at the TV to avoid eye contact. "I'm sorry if we're going too fast, I mean, I did just kiss you like 20 minutes ago and said I love you."

Eddie smiled. Fuck taking it slow, fuck adjusting to being your best friend's lover, Eddie just wanted to love Richie. Eddie yearned for the ability to kiss him and feel the comfort of being held in his arms. The pure joy he gets out of being together with him, he wanted that more than ever. 

"Rich, of course," Eddie smiled, nervously, "Just don't be such a turd and pinch my cheeks all the time." He responded, and put his hand onto Richie's. He leaned toward him and kissed Richie's cheek, grinning.

Richie felt his face burn up like a cigarette butt, and he smiled. He thought of the time he held Eddie's hand after promising to return if the clown ever did when they were thirteen years old. It's times like these Richie wanted to last forever- his happiest moments with his lover. 

"Eddie," Richie spoke softly, still smiling while holding his hand and leaned toward Eddie. "Can I kiss you?" He asked, nervous and even a bit hesitant to ask the question.

Eddie only nodded, his face burning up from blushing. He was nervous, of course, but he loved and trusted Richie with his _life_. Maybe saying that about him seemed like too much but he had to admit it was true in some situations like these.

Richie leaned forward slowly and tilted his head and Eddie stared at the older boy. Richie closed the gap between connecting their lips, moving in sync almost instantly. Eddie moved his right hand to touch Richie's cheek, closing his eyes. They stayed like that for a couple of seconds, just letting each other sink into the comfort of one another and share this intimate moment as if it was the last one they would ever have.

The two pulled away from the kiss and Eddie didn't move his hand. The two sat on Eddie's bed, just smiling. They took the time to admire each other again, Richie staring into Eddie's eyes in the dim lighting as Stranger Things played in the background. Eddie looked into Richie's eyes, seeing his dilated pupils staring back at him. He grinned and leaned forward, putting his head into the crook of Richie's neck. 

"Can I stay the night, Eds?" Richie asked, circling his thumb on Eddie's left hand. Eddie only nodded, and closed his eyes, allowing Richie's touch to consume him.

After getting in a more comfortable position in Eddie's bed, they watched the show on Eddie's Xbox. 

"Eddie?" Richie asked, looking down at the boy, resting his head on his shoulder. 

"Huh?" Eddie only hummed, sounding a bit like a caveman ironically.

"Wanna play Mortal Kombat 11?" Richie asked, grinning. "I can totally kick your ass as anyone, I swear to fuckin' god." He teased.

Eddie only rolled his eyes and smiled. Richie used to be obsessed with Street Fighter but started playing Mortal Kombat X when it was released. Immediately, he fell in love with the series. He especially loved characters like Kung Jin, Takeda, or Erron Black. Richie and Eddie usually played together and they both saved money to buy the game by doing random jobs around Derry. First, they shared Richie's copy of the game which was digital. Shortly after Eddie had enough money to buy his copy of the game, they could play against each other from the comfort of their own homes rather than Richie having to bike to Eddie's with his controller or vise Versa.

Eddie sat up. "Dude, I have gotten so much better at the game!" He said, looking back at his lover. "I have mastered Kung Lao, Kung Jin, Erron Black, Scorpion, and even Sub-fuckin'-zero!" Eddie protested, attempting to flex on Richie.

Richie shook his head. "Oh, Eddie bear, you're awful at female characters, such as Sonya Blade!" Richie responded to him, and Eddie looked offended and gave him a nasty look. "It's ironic, Eds, you play Mercy, Ana, and even D.va in Overwatch," He continued, a shit-eating grin on his face, "But you're trash at female characters in M-K-11." 

"Richie shut the fuck up!" Eddie was annoyed but enjoyed the banter. "I am an AMAZING fucking Jade in M-K-11," he responded, his words venomous to Richie. "I am also godly at Mercy, Rich, I don't have 145 hours on her for you to say she's all I can play. My fuckin' Lucio hours, for fucks sakes!" Eddie continued his rant. "I am godly at support in Overwatch and slowly getting better at women in M-K-11, especially Cassie!"

Richie shook his head. "Yeah, but do you remember the time you were pretending to have an intimate time with Widowmaker in Overwatch then your mommy walked in?" He asked, bursting out in laughter.

"Dude, that was back in 2017 you dickwad!" Eddie groaned in response, "I was grounded for WEEKS! She wouldn't even let me stay out past 3:40 pm, ten minutes after school."

Richie calmed down from laughing and leaned forward to be sitting beside Eddie. He kissed his cheek. "Now, how about that round of Mortal Kombat?" Richie asked, and Eddie couldn't help but overcome his anger and smile at Richie's kiss. 

"Yeah, I'll get my controller," Eddie responded. He stood up from his bed and wandered toward his dresser, opening the bureau. He grabbed the white controller and checked for batteries.

Richie leaned to Eddie's bedside and grabbed his black controller for his Xbox. He pressed the home button the controller and signed into his Microsoft account via the menu. After signing into his account (called trashmouthboi, as a matter of fact) he went to the Games & Apps option on the menu. After looking through games such as Apex Legends, Fallout 4, Grand Theft Auto V, and even Overwatch, he found Mortal Kombat 11. He selected the game and went straight to the 'local' tab and started a game as Eddie synced his controller to the console.

"Ready to get your ass kicked, babe?" Richie teased, selecting Kung Lao. The kosmetics displayed on his character was something he spent a lot of time trying to get and he was proud of his achievement.

"No way," Eddie grinned and connected to the game. His gamer tag was KaspbrakEds and he was proud of all his achievements, especially in Fallout 4 (which he spent about 9 days on in one save slot alone). He selected Erron Black, his current main character. They selected two arenas to fight in, which were Black Dragon Fight Club and the Cyber Lin Kuei Assembly. The game favored a certain boy and picked Richie's map, Black Dragon Fight Club. Eddie only rolled his eyes.

The game started with Erron Black walking into the arena which had numerous people rustling at the fences surrounding the arena. Eddie's introduction scene for Erron Black was called Chambered, and it was Erron spinning his sniper rifle in his hand carelessly.

Richie's character Kung Lao walks into the arena with an introduction called Sharp-dressed man, in which his hat is on the floor and he uses his foot to kick it into his hand and put it on.

The scene cuts to Erron Black, and his dialog starts and is displayed on the screen in yellow font.

_\- One hat-man to another, cool hat._

Erron spoke briefly looking at Kung Lao.

Kung Lao speaks.

_\- But your hat is no weapon._

His snarky remark seems to have unphased the gunslinging cowboy, Erron. 

_\- Well, that's just weird, Kung Lao._

Erron responded. Eddie grinned. "That's weird, Rich." 

The game begins. Eddie starts the first hit with an uppercut doing an immense amount of damage. Skimming over the first round, Eddie wins by performing a fatal blow on Richie.

"This is only the beginning, Eds," Richie told him after Eddie won the first round.

The game continued and Richie won the second round easily, which angered Eddie but he didn't dare show his rage which would satisfy his boyfriend.

In the end, Eddie won. Instead of instantly performing a fatality on Richie, he gave his boyfriend mercy. Eddie had a shit-eating grin plastered on his face. After the mercy, he performed his fatal blow on Richie, knocking him down once again. Instead of performing another fatality, he did brutality. 

Richie groaned after the round was over and pushed Eddie down onto his bed. "You motherfucker!" He shouted playfully, and attacked Eddie's neck with his, tickling the shorter boy. 

Eddie laughed uncontrollably, and through his breaths, he begged Richie to stop. After a solid minute or so of this ordeal for Eddie, Richie complied and stopped tickling him. Rather, he started kissing the smaller boy's neck. Eddie felt like he was melting, allowing Richie's soft lips to plant themselves down his neck. 

Shortly after a short makeout session, the two shut down the Xbox, changed into appropriate clothing after brushing their teeth and laid in bed listening to a playlist Richie composed for him over the summer. It was four hours long, but they didn't mind. They prayed Sonia wouldn't see the two holding each other and drifted off to sleep after a long, late-night, forgetting about their first day of classes the next day.


End file.
